The Bighorn is in fantastic shape right now. We’re seeing strong hatches of Midges and Baetis bringing some fish to the surface and they are keyed in on the nymphs big time. The Spring traffic is definitely here, but pretty well spread out. FWP is shocking 3-B early this week, so watch out for that boat. Read more...
Despite the wind and cold fronts, the river has been fishing pretty well overall. The traffic isn’t too bad for this time of year. Picking the right calm days is key.
Baetis and Midges are starting to show up in pretty good numbers. We’ve had a few good afternoon dry fly sessions lately. Read more...
Getting closer to Spring on the Bighorn. Great weather is ahead and the fishing has been pretty good. People are coming out of the woodwork and weekends are starting to get busier.
Nymphing with Carpet Bugs, Jellybeans, Rainbow Candys, Zebras, Green Weenies and Graveyard midges have standard issue. Definitely more fish on the Midge program as you get closer to the Afterbay. Read more...
If you can catch a good window of weather between wind and snow, it’s time to head to the Bighorn! We were out a few days this past week and the river is in excellent shape and so are the fish.
Nymphing with anything PINK will do the trick right now. Read more...
If you enjoy solitude on the Bighorn River, now is the time to be here! The weather is very unusual for this time of year. Most days are in the 40’s and 50’s, but we’re not complaining! (Except for the wind..)
FYI, the Bighorn Angler Fly shop has limited its ‘off season’ hours to Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8AM-noon or so. Read more...
NOW HIRING FOR THE 2022 SEASON: The Retail Sales Associate – Fly Shop Lead is a knowledgeable fly fisher, with a passion for fly fishing gear and the desire to provide Bighorn Angler patrons with a world class experience.
The Bighorn Angler is a fly shop and lodge located on the Bighorn River in Fort Smith, Montana. Read more...
Our water temps have finally dipped into the high 30’s, which is on par for this time of year. The fish seem to be adjusting to this as the fishing definitely hasn’t been ‘lights out’ by any means. Pick the non windy, warmer days and you’ll enjoy your time!
It’s mainly a nymph deal right now with the standard Winter fare – Carpet Bugs, Cotton Candy, Graveyard Midges, Zebra Midges and various other Sowbug/Midge patterns. Read more...
We just had an arctic blast and looks like the weather will be with us for a bit. The good news is the river has cleaned up and is back to great clarity and some grass on its way out. The browns are in full spawn mode as well, so please be mindful of them! Read more...
Well things were starting to turn around last week with the water clearing a bit. After the ferocious winds and varying weather patterns this past week, it looks like things have been stirred up making up for somewhat challenging fishing. In other words, the fishing kind of sucks but there are fish to be caught… We’re hoping that changes with the weather settling back to normal. Read more...
Conditions are improving on the Bighorn as nightime temps have dropped, which is what we’ve been waiting for. The river is still a bit green and the grass is still around, although quite a bit cleaner than it has been. This hasn’t kept the fishing from eating though!
We’ve started to see the Fall BWO’s along with Psuedos and even a few Tricos later in the mornings. Read more...